


Dyscalculia

by Daughter_of_Scotland



Series: Disney's Descendants [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Disney - All Media Types
Genre: After 2nd Movie, Gen, Harry Centric, Harry and Mal were friends, Harry has Dyscalculia, Harry is bitter, discussion of prostitution (not actually happening)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 23:03:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12156615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daughter_of_Scotland/pseuds/Daughter_of_Scotland
Summary: Harry and numbers never got along. Uma made sure he didn't need to count, but Mal actually told him why he just couldn't. And so a new chance opens up for the son of Captain Hook.





	Dyscalculia

**Author's Note:**

> There was a post on tumblr: "I feel like Harry got a lot of “You’re lucky you’re pretty” comments while growing up." by reece-b-still. That plus the "Never learned how to count 'cause I'm #1" lyric in "What's my name" made me consider writing this.
> 
> Harry kind of consumed my soul. There might be more of this eventually, I'm opening a series.

“Well, at least you are pretty.”

 

Harry clenched his fist at his father’s words. He had done his best to get the money he was supposed to bring in today, but someone had cheated him - again - and he didn’t have enough.

 

“Seriously, how hard is it to count some bills?” his older sister added with a smirk. She, as usual, had brought in more than her share.

 

“You know that he can’t count,” his father said, completely ignoring Harry now. “He’s just too stupid.”

 

Harry let their laughter wash over him and turned around to leave. Maybe he could try it with the numbers again today…

 

He made his way to the warehouse he had commandeered for his own, reaching the top floor in record time. Someone was already there. 

 

“Hey, Harry,” Mal said, looking up from her homework. 

 

“Hey, Mal,” he answered, grinning, his mood already lifting. “What’cha doing here?”

 

She shrugged. “Mom wanted me out,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. Harry knew better. He knew she was hurt whenever her mom told hr to get lost.

 

“How about you?” She added.

 

He sighed. “Thought I’d try my hands with numbers again… dad was upset.”

 

Mal rolled her eyes. “He always is upset,” she said but put her homework away. “Let’s see if we can make some progress today…”

 

Harry doubted it. Mal had been trying to help him with learning numbers for a few months now - more patient than he’d ever seen her - but nothing seemed to be working.

 

“Maybe I’m just stupid,” he ground out after half an hour of no progress.

 

“You’re not,” she chided. “We’ll get there one day…”

 

This was why Harry loved Mal.

 

***

 

Harry hadn’t seen Mal in a while. She had started hanging out with Jay, first, and then Evie and Carlos… and forgotten about Harry.

Well. Probably for the best. This way Uma was able to pick him up.

 

“I’m building a crew,” she had said, lounging on his desk at Dragon Hall when they were 15. “I want you as my first mate.”

 

He blinked. “Why me?” he asked.

 

“Because as my number 1, you never need to count,” had been her answer and. Well. Mal had tried for a long time to get him to learn how to count, but Uma just gave him the perfect excuse to stop being frustrated with himself because he never managed it. 

 

She made him feel validated, no matter his abilities with numbers.

 

And Mal had forgotten about him anyway.

 

“Alrighty,” he said, grinning at her. He wondered if his dad would be proud of him for being the first mate in Ursula’s daughter’s crew.

 

Who needed Mal anyway?

 

***

 

He left the Salon shaking. The gum was cloying in his mouth, too sweet. Why had he even taken it? He clenched his jaw. Why was Mal back? She had her perfect life now, her King. Why would she come back to the Isle?

Footsteps sounded behind him.

 

“Harry! Wait up!”

 

His eyes widened. Why was she  _ following  _ him?!

 

He composed himself and turned to her with a grin. “Not what I expected,” he purred. He moved closer, backing her against the wall. “Did you forget something? Miss me already?” He leaned even closer, his breath hitting her ear. He delighted in her shiver. “Hoping for a bit of fun before Uma gets to you?”

 

“Stop it,” Mal said, her eyes locking onto his. “We both know you're not interested in me like that.”

 

He backed up, his grin disappearing. “Not anymore,” he added, a touch bitterly. 

 

She conceded the point with a nod.

 

“So what  _ do _ you want?” he asked, crossing his arms.

 

She pulled a few stapled papers out of her back. “I brought these for you,” she said, holding them out. “It's about Dyscalculia.”

 

“And what's that?” he sneered, not taking the papers.

 

She took a deep breath. “It’s a number disability,” she answered, her voice as gentle as he hadn't heard it in years. “It’s why you can't count.” 

 

He froze, his arms falling limp to his side. “What?”

 

She still held out the papers. “I… I asked someone. In Auradon. She has the same problem you do and she explained it to me. I…” She bit her lip. “Harry, I wanted… I’m sorry. For the way I treated you because of it.”

 

His mind was reeling. There was a  _ name _ for it? A reason why he could never understand numbers? And Mal… Mal had brought it to him… and apologized?

 

He sneered, going on the defensive instinctively. “Auradon made you weak, I see,” he spat. “The old Mal never would have apologized.”

 

“And I don’t completely like that old Mal anymore,” she said. “Are you taking these or what?” She waved the papers impatiently.

 

He took them, just to drop them in a bin. “I don’t need these,” he said, still sneering. “I’m Uma’s first mate. I don’t need to count.”

 

She sighed. “Okay. But… I just want to let you know that on Auradon? They can teach you. They found a way.”

 

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep his reaction invisible. “What, they can magic it out of me?” he asked bitterly. “Well, not like I’m there, am I?”

 

She sighed again and nodded slightly. “Right… Well. If you don’t want them, fine.” She turned around. “See you later, Harry.”

 

“Hopefully never,” he called after her and watched her turn the corner. As soon as she was gone he fished the papers out of the bin, dusting them off. 

 

“Dyscalculia,” he muttered under his breath, reading the title off the top page. Uma could wait a bit longer. He had some reading to do.

 

***

 

Harry knew he wasn’t completely right in the head. But he also knew, had known for years, playing it up was to his advantage. So after taunting Ben for the crew to see, he waited until no one looked at them and then walked back up to the King.

 

“So, Kingly, I have a question,” he asked, his usual grin replaced by a more serious look.

 

Ben eyed him warily. “Yes, Harry?”

 

Harry looked around again. No one paid them any attention. Good.

 

“What do you know about Dyscalculia?” he asked quietly.

 

Ben blinked, clearly surprised. “Uh… I know it means having trouble with numbers… it comes in various degrees, so it varies from person to person.” He thought about it. “I know there are special types of therapies or learning methods to work with…”

 

Harry listened. That stuff had been in the papers Mal had given him, too.

 

“So you magic it away?” he asked.

 

Ben shook his head. “No. We don’t actually use magic anymore. No, it’s… It’s just like classes. Just more focussed and helpful, because they are designed to work with the problem, not against it.” He looked curiously at Harry. “So… Why are you asking?”

 

Harry clamped up immediately. “Not your business,” he snapped. “Not like it’s going to help me here, anyway.”

 

He walked off and was seriously glad when Mal finally showed up. He didn’t actually want to send Ben into the water.

 

***

 

It was a few days after the fiasco at the docks when Harry came home his father fuming. A pristine, white letter was on Harry’s spot at the table, the Auradon’s royal seal on display.

 

“Go on then,” his father hissed, “open it.”

 

Harry felt numb as his sisters snickered in the background.

 

He opened the letter slowly and skimmed through it.

 

“Read it!” his father’s voice boomed through the room and Harry flinched.

 

“D- dear Harry,” he started, his voice shaking. “I officially invite you to come to Auradon and join us at the school. I’d be my honor to show you around. Please accept. Ben.”

 

He looked at his father. “He… They’d pick me up tomorrow morning.”

 

Hook smiled cruelly. “Well, then you better start packing, don’t you, boy? You wouldn’t want your new King to be disappointed.”

 

Harry swallowed. “You… you don’t want me to stay?”

 

“For what reason?” his eldest sister sneered. “You’re useless. You’re pretty, mind, but Uma kept you all to herself, you’re not even able to bring in money by using that pretty mouth of yours.”

 

Harry shuddered. She and his dad had often commented on his pretty face and how he could make money with it… Thankfully, Uma had made sure her crew never had to resort to this. But Uma still hadn’t returned…

 

“I’ll go,” Harry said, his voice getting more steady. “I’ll leave right now.”

 

“Good,” Hook hummed. “One less mouth to feed.”

 

And that was the last thing spoken between Harry and his family.

 

He packed a bag - not much, he didn’t own a lot - and left the house, going to the ship. He’d spend the night there.

 

“Harry!”

 

He looked up at Gil who stared at him. He had an identical letter in his hand.

 

“Oh,” Harry said, face brightening. “Are you going, too?”

 

Gil’s face clouded and Harry’s heart fell.

 

“Too?” Gil asked and Harry was reminded that, while often dumb, Gil could be as cruel as his older brothers. “So you’re seriously considering this?”

 

Harry shrugged. “I… Yes. Without Uma here…”

 

“Uma is coming back!” Gil screamed. “She will! And if you go, believe me, she will not let you come back!”

 

Harry gaped. “You can’t know that!”

 

“Oh, grow up, Harry,” Gil spat. “You leave, you’re finished. You can become of the nice kids at Auradon, but you’ll never be a part of our crew again.”

 

He stepped closer, almost nose to nose with Harry. “Think carefully,” he whispered and then turned and left.

 

Harry was shaking. He couldn’t go to the ship now, nor back home. So he went to the only place he could go, really. 

 

The part of the city where in the morning a limousine would come to pick him up and bring him and a selected group of other kids to their new life in Auradon.

 

Harry just hoped he didn’t make a terrible mistake.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love <3


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